Stars getting goals from unexpected sources

EDMONTON, Alberta — Joel Hanley had never scored a goal in the NHL until Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Just another unlikely scorer this postseason for the Dallas Stars, like rookie Joel Kiviranta.

Hanley scored the first goal in this unusual Stanley Cup, and Kiviranta gave the Stars a two-goal advantage in the second period on the way to a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lighting inside the NHL bubble on Saturday night.

“That’s how you win in the playoffs,“interim coach Rick Bowness said after the opener of the best-of-seven series. ”You rely on your top-end guys to get you some offense or get you some chances, then you rely on some guys that have to step up every now and then and score some huge goals for us.”

Hanley scored the first goal in this unusual Stanley Cup, and Kiviranta gave the Stars a 3-1 advantage in the second period.

Even Hanley would have never scripted his first goal coming on the biggest stage.

“Definitely not,” Hanley said. “Obviously it’s something you dream about when you’re young and stuff. Just cool to be able to contribute with a goal like that. Pretty cool to be in the finals, too.”

A 29-year-old defenseman, Hanley has played 46 regular-season games for three teams over the past five seasons, never putting a puck in the net. That changed 5:40 into the Stars’ first Stanley Cup Final game since 2000.

Hanley had played only eight regular-season games and didn’t get into the postseason until Game 7 in the second round against Colorado. That was the same game where Kiviranta had a hat trick, including the series-clinching goal in overtime. Kiviranta had scored only once in 11 regular-season games and appeared in only two postseason games before that.

He has played every game since. “He’s fearless,” Bowness said. “As inexperienced as he is in terms of playing in our league, he’s one of our best forwards making plays off the boards with the puck . ... He’s been a huge help for us.

“If I was a smarter coach, I would have had him playing earlier than this.”

The goal by Kiviranta came in the final minute of the second period.

In between the goals by Hanley and Kiviranta was a nifty tiebreaking score by Jamie Oleksiak, a defenseman who scored on his own rebound. That was his fifth goal in 22 games this postseason, after scoring only three in 69 games during the regular season.

The 10th-year player has never scored more than five goals in a regular season.